Land Combat Fitness Test (LCFT) Training Plan

Land Combat Fitness Test (LCFT) Training Plan

$49.00

  • 5-week plan, 5 days/week
  • Laser-focused to maximize your performance on the LCFT
  • The plan is individually scaled so it can be reused before every LCFT and always meet your fitness level.
  • This training plan is one of the 450+ Plans included with an Athlete’s Subscription.

Description

PROGRAM OVERVIEW

The following 5-week training plan is specifically designed to prepare you for the New Zealand Army’s Land Combat Fitness Test (LCFT). This plan should be completed in the 5 weeks leading up to your scheduled LCFT date.

The LCFT is an operational fitness assessment used to evaluate combat readiness across key domains of military performance. It includes four core events:

  1. Lift and Place – Lift a 20 kg jerry can onto a 1.4 m-high surface for maximum reps in 90 seconds.
  2. Battlefield Manoeuvre – Advance 150 m in 15 x 10 m tactical bounds, hitting a kneeling unsupported fire position at the start and finish of each bound. Each 10 m bound must be completed in 5 seconds, followed by 5 seconds rest.
  3. Lift and Carry – Carry two 20 kg jerry cans for 200 m, pausing for 5 seconds every 25 m.
  4. Battlefield Endurance – Complete a 4 km ruck for time while carrying a 20 kg load (webbing, rifle, and body armour).

Please click HERE for a video explaining the LCFT exercises.

This training plan deploys a full LCFT assessment on Monday of Weeks 1 through 5, allowing for regular progress checks. Performance in each event will inform your progressions in subsequent sessions, ensuring that the plan adapts to your fitness level and builds toward test-day readiness.

Below is how this training program trains the specific events in the LCFT:

LCFT Event How This plan Trains For It
Lift and Place 5 rounds every 90 seconds using 35–45% of max reps; progressively overloaded weekly
Battlefield Manoeuvre Shuttle repeats with kneeling position every 10 m; starts at 3 rounds, progresses to 6
Lift and Carry 3-6 rounds of 8 x 25 m farmer carries (20 kg per hand) with 5-second pauses every 25 m
Battlefield Endurance Intervals and distance ruck runs using ruck interval calculator; progressive distance and rest periods

WEEKLY SCHEDULE

  • Monday: Full LCFT Assessment
  • Tuesday: Lift and Place, Battlefield Manoeuvre, Lift and Carry, Work Capacity (shuttle sprint intervals)
  • Wednesday: Battlefield Endurance (interval-based ruck runs using ruck interval calculator)
  • Thursday: Lift and Place, Battlefield Manoeuvre, Lift and Carry, Chassis Integrity Grind (e.g., 15-minute ARTE circuit)
  • Friday: Battlefield Endurance (long intervals or continuous ruck work)

RUCKING INTERVALS

The program uses the MTI Rucking Calculator for your runs. These paces are based on your most recent LCFT. Always use the latest assessment results to determine paces for subsequent training sessions.

Weuse interval training for the 4 kilometer. The interval distances are shorter than the assessment, and the paces are faster than your assessment pace. You will perform 1 kilometer and 2 kilometer intervals with a rest between efforts.

REQUIRED EQUIPMENT

  • Stopwatch with a repeating countdown timer (Timex Ironman or smartphone will work)
  • Rucking area (track or other) with known 2 and 4 kilometer distances.
  • 2 x 20 kg jerry cans or kettlebells, dumbbells, or sandbags
  • 1.4 m high platform (for Lift and Place)
  • Measured 10 m, 25 m, and 150 m course (cones or tape for marking)
  • Weighted vest, ruck, or military kit totalling 20 kg

COMMON QUESTIONS

What if I can’t do the whole session?
If you don’t have enough time to complete the whole session, you can split the session into two.

What if I miss a day?
Begin where you left off when you return to training. This program is progressed – each session builds upon the prior session – so don’t skip a session or skip around. Follow the training sessions in order, regardless.

Where do I find unfamiliar exercises?
See our Exercise Library HERE. The Run/Ruck Calculator is listed as an exercise.

What about nutrition?
See our Nutritional Guidelines HERE.

More Questions?
Email: coach@mtntactical.com

Good Luck!

Rob Shaul
Mountain Tactical Institute
Jackson, WY

Required Equipment


  • Stopwatch with a repeating countdown timer (Timex Ironman or smartphone will work)

  • Rucking area (track or other) with known 2 and 4 kilometer distances.

  • 2 x 20 kg jerry cans or kettlebells, dumbbells, or sandbags

  • 1.4 m high platform (for Lift and Place)

  • Measured 10 m, 25 m, and 150 m course (cones or tape for marking)

  • Weighted vest, ruck, or military kit totalling 20 kg

Sample Training

SESSION 1

OBJ: Assessment – LCFT No. 1
Load: All events performed wearing a fixed 20kg load (webbing, rifle, body armor)

Warm Up
3 Rounds:

  • 10x Squat

  • 10x Push Ups

  • 10x Sit Ups

  • 4x 25m Shuttle

  • Instep Stretch

  • Lat + Pec Stretch

Training

Max Lift and Place in 90 Seconds

  • LCFT Lift and Place

  • Lift a 20kg jerry can or SB/KB/DB onto a 1.4m (~4.5 ft) high surface

  • Max reps in 90 seconds

DO NOT REST BETWEEN EVENTS

Battlefield Maneuver for Completion

  • LCFT 150m Battlefield Maneuver

  • Advance 150m in 15 x 10m bounds

  • 5 seconds per bound + 5 second rest between bounds

  • Begin and end each bound in kneeling unsupported fire position

DO NOT REST BETWEEN EVENTS

Lift and Carry for Completion

  • LCFT 200m Lift and Carry

  • Carry 2 x 20kg jerry cans or SB/KB/DB for 200m

  • Stop every 25m for a 5 second rest

DO NOT REST BETWEEN EVENTS

Battlefield Endurance for Time

  • LCFT 4 Kilometer Ruck

  • Carry 20kg fixed load for time

RECORD ALL SCORES

SESSION 2

OBJ: Lift and Place, Battlefield Maneuver, Lift and Carry, Work Capacity
Load: All exercises completed with 20kg fixed load (webbing, rifle, body armor), except shuttle sprints

Warm Up
5 Rounds:

  • 10x Squat

  • 10x Push Ups

  • 4x 25m Shuttle

  • Instep Stretch

  • Lat + Pec Stretch

Training

5 Rounds – Every 90 Seconds:

  • 35% LCFT Lift and Place

  • Use SESSION 1’s result to calculate assigned reps

  • Rest with remaining time in each interval

3 Rounds:

  • 150m Shuttle

  • 30s Rest Between Rounds

  • Perform 15 x 10m bounds with 5s per bound + 5s rest between bounds

  • Begin and end each bound in kneeling unsupported fire position

3 Rounds:

  • 8x 25m Lift and Carry – 2 x 20kg jerry cans or SB/KB/DB

  • 30s Rest Between Rounds

  • Set down weight every 25m for a 5 second rest

15 Rounds:

  • 25s – 25m Shuttle Sprint

  • 35s Rest

2 Rounds:

  • HAM – Hip Mobility Drill

SESSION 3

OBJ: Battlefield Endurance (Ruck Intervals)
Load: 20kg fixed load (webbing, rifle, body armor)

Warm Up
4 Rounds:

  • 10x Squat

  • 5x Push Ups

  • 4x 25m Prone to Sprint

  • Instep Stretch

Training

2 Rounds:

  • 2km Ruck Run – 20kg + rifle

  • Use your SESSION 1 4km ruck result and the MTI Ruck Calculator to determine your interval pace

  • Rest 8 Minutes Between Rounds

  • Ruck Calculator

2 Rounds:

  • Hip Flexor Stretch

  • Instep Stretch

SESSION 4

OBJ: Lift and Place, Battlefield Maneuver, Lift and Carry, Chassis Integrity
Load: All exercises performed with 20kg fixed load (webbing, rifle, body armor), except chassis integrity work

Warm Up
5 Rounds:

  • 10x Squat

  • 10x Push Ups

  • 4x 25m Shuttle

  • Instep Stretch

  • Lat + Pec Stretch

Training

5 Rounds – Every 90 Seconds:

  • 45% LCFT Lift and Place

  • Use SESSION 1’s result to determine assigned reps

  • Rest with remaining time in each interval

3 Rounds:

  • 150m Shuttle

  • 30s Rest Between Rounds

  • Perform 15 x 10m bounds with 5s per bound + 5s rest between bounds

  • Begin and end each bound in kneeling unsupported fire position

3 Rounds:

  • 8x 25m Lift and Carry – 2 x 20kg jerry cans or SB/KB/DB

  • 30s Rest Between Rounds

  • Stop and rest 5s every 25m

15 Minute Grind:

  • 5x Sandbag Sit Up – 40/60# (increase to 80# if too light)

  • 60s Sandbag Zercher Carry – 40/60# (increase to 80# if too light)

  • 5x Sandbag Twist & Toss – 40/60# (increase to 80# if too light)

  • 5x Sandbag Good Mornings – 40/60# (increase to 80# if too light)

  • Grind = steady effort, avoid resting

2 Rounds:

  • HUG – Hip Mobility Drill

SESSION 5

OBJ: Battlefield Endurance (Ruck Intervals)
Load: 20kg fixed load (webbing, rifle, body armor)

Warm Up
4 Rounds:

  • 10x Squat

  • 5x Push Ups

  • 4x 25m Prone to Sprint

  • Instep Stretch

Training

2 Rounds:

  • 2km Ruck Run – 20kg + rifle

  • Use SESSION 1 4km ruck result and MTI Ruck Calculator to determine pace

  • Rest 12 Minutes Between Rounds

  • Ruck Calculator

2 Rounds:

  • Hip Flexor Stretch

  • Instep Stretch

1)  Mission Direct

Gym numbers mean nothing. All that matters is mission performance. 

To this end, MTI’s fitness solutions and programming are not boxed in by convention, tradition, orthodoxy, public opinion or any other artificial constraint driven by inside or outside forces.

We begin with the raw fitness demands of the mission and build a fitness solution which directly prepares the athlete for those demands.

 

2) Fitness Solutions Built from the Ground Up

MTI’s programming is not “re-tread” bodybuilding, football, CrossFit, kettlebell, strength or general fitness programming. We’ve built our fitness programming for mountain and tactical athletes from the ground up.

The Fluid Periodization methodology we deploy to concurrently train multiple fitness attributes is completely original and has continued to evolve and improve over the years.

Our mid-section training methodology, Chassis Integrity, is also original, as is our endurance programming, 7 strength training progressions, tactical agility, and work capacity programming.

Our mountain sports pre-season training plans, tactical PFT, selection, school, course, and fitness improvement training plans across military, LE and Fire Rescue are MTI-developed, tested and athlete-proven.

Over the years hundreds of athletes and coaches have taken our advanced programming and unit fitness leader programming courses and MTI is widely recognized within the mountain and tactical professions and fitness media as a thought leader in fitness programming for military and tactical athletes.

 

3) The MTI Method

→ Research: MTI begins program design with extensive research of the fitness demands of the mission, sport or event, identifies the exercises and progressions which sport-specifically meet those demands, chose end-of-cycle goals, and program backward to design the training plan.

→ Deploy & Assess: We deploy the training plan “Lab Rats” at our Wyoming facility. Training session and cycle issues are identified and fixed as we work through the training plan. Post cycle we assess the programming’s effectiveness and efficiency. We keep the stuff that works, and fix or toss the stuff that doesn’t.

→ Publish & Assess Again: Plan is published for purchase as an individual training plan and made available to our subscribers. Feedback/results are assessed.

→ Iterate: We take what we learn from lab rats and athletes, re-visit, update and improve already published training plans. Several of our individual training plans are on their 4th or 5th version.

 

4) Mission-Direct Research

MTI exists to “Improve Mountain and Tactical Athletes mission performance and keep them safe.” To that end, we have developed a unique research methodology aimed at identifying real world areas of improvement and identifying immediately deployable mission-direct solutions. Click HERE to learn more about MTI’s Mission-Direct Research methodology, and Here to read about just few of our research efforts.

 

5) Field Proven

Our stuff works. Weekly we receive unsolicited reviews of our programming and testimonials to its effectiveness.

 

6) Programming Breadth

MTI’s library of 200+ sport-specific fitness plans for mountain and tactical athletes is unmatched. Resources range from specific programming for tactical special forces selections, to specific plans for climbing Rainier and Denali, to general fitness solutions such as running improvement, to post-rehab from injury.

Over the past decade, MTI has partnered with hundreds of athletes throughout their individual mountain and tactical careers, and provided fitness solutions as they face new mountain objectives, tactical schools, selections, PFTs and deployments, and came back from injury.

 

7) Worldwide Influence

Our work is not limited to US Athletes.

We’ve developed selection-specific training plans for Canadian, UK, Australian and German Special Forces Selections and worked with individual military personnel from Scandinavia, South, and Central America.

Canadian, Australian, UK and western European law enforcement and fire/rescue athletes have used MTI programming for mission-direct fitness.

On the mountain side, Alpinists from Japan to Slovakia have consulted with MTI and used MTI’s programming to prepare for mountain objectives.

 

8) Mission Performance beyond Fitness

MTI’s exists is to improve Mission Performance for mountain and tactical athletes and keep them safe. 

This focus on “mission direct” solutions, enhancements and improvements drives our work and research and extends beyond fitness solutions to include training, leadership, gear, team culture, and safety. 

Fitness is just one area of our work.

Our non-fitness research has included tactical cultures, combat uniforms, and gore-tex performance, and effect of stress on marksmanship.

Our work on defining what it means to be a Quiet Professional has had penetrating influence and driven healthy conversations with both mountain and tactical professionals.

 

9) Direct, Honest, Clear Answers

Since 2007 we’ve taken and answered dozens of questions weekly from mountain and tactical athletes. We’ve saved these individual Q&A’s and now thousands are archived on our site.

We’re not salesmen, and our answers are noted for their directness, honesty, and clarity. Our stuff isn’t for everyone. If we can help, we’ll let you know. If we can’t, we’ll let you know that, too.

– Rob Shaul, Founder

 

All of the Above is Backed Up By Our Promise: Our Stuff Works. Guaranteed.

Our Stuff Works. Guaranteed.

By Rob Shaul

I received notes frequently from athletes hesitant to purchase a subscription or training plans asking me to sell them on why they should make the purchase.

While I understand the question, I’m not a salesman – so I can’t put a hard sale on anyone for our programming.

I can tell them the process we go through to design our programming.

We begin with extensive research on the fitness demands of the event, identify the exercises and progressions which sport specifically meet those demands, chose end-of-cycle goals, and program backward to design the plan.

Then we test the cycle on ourselves and our lab rats here in Wyoming. We document, note what works and doesn’t work, re-assess, and make changes and modifications.

Then we publish the programming in the form of one of our plans or as part of our subscription daily training sessions for tactical and mountain athletes.
We don’t stop there – our daily programming is the “tip of the spear” for our programming evolution. We use these sessions to learn and make continuous improvement.

As we learn more and improve, we go back, and update the sport-specific training plans on the website. For example, we’re currently on Version 5 of our Ruck Based Selection Training Plan and Version 3 of our Dryland Ski Training Plan and Version 4 of our Big Game Back Country Hunting Training Plan.

We understand our programing isn’t cheap, but we believe it’s a great value. The $79 for the Ruck Based Selection Training Plan, and $39 for the Dryland Ski Training Plan reflect the, research, work, innovative theory, iteration, testing and feedback we’ve put in and received to make these plans effective.

All that matters for us is outside performance, and we feel strongly that Our Stuff Works in the real world.

Here’s our guarantee:

1) Individual Training Plan Purchase:
If you purchase an individual training plan, follow it as prescribed before your season/event/pft/selection, and if you don’t feel you were physically ready for your season/event/pft/selection, and/or didn’t see dramatic improvements in your early season performance, we’ll refund your money, no questions asked.

2) Athlete’s Subscription
If you purchase an Athletes’ Subscription, follow the training sessions as prescribed, and are not satisfied with the quality of the programming, notify us within 30 days of purchase, and we’ll refund your money, no questions asked.

Questions?
Email: rob@mtntactical.com

COMMON QUESTIONS:

Do you have any reviews or testimonials from athletes who have used your Athlete’s Subscription
Yes. Click HERE.

Is it true you guarantee your stuff works?
Yes. If you purchase an Athletes’ Subscription, follow the training sessions as prescribed, and are not satisfied with the quality of the programming, notify us within 30 days of purchase, and we’ll refund your money, no questions asked.

How is MTI programming different than CrossFit?
This is a common question. Read our answer HERE.

You have a lot of competitors. Why should I choose MTI?
MTI is driven to improve mountain and tactical athletes’ mission performance and keep them safe. This emphasis and focus on mission performance sets us apart. Read about more that sets us apart HERE.

If I purchase a plan or subscription, how do I access the programming?
All of our plans are online, accessible via username and password.
You can log in through our →Website  or Mobile App →IOS and Android.

Do you have downloadable .pdf’s of the training plans?
No. But you can print the programming, by week, from your browser. You access individual training plans online via a username and password.

Do you have a mobile app?
Yes, we do. Available for IOS and Android.

What is the difference between purchasing an individual training plan, packet of plans or an Athlete’s Subscription?

  • Plan – Like purchasing the DVD of the first Star Wars movie. You own it forever, including any updates we make to the plan.
  • Packet – Like purchasing the DVD’s of all the Star Wars movies. You own them forever, including any updates we make to the plans.
  • Athlete’s Subscription – Like subscribing to Netflix. You get access to all 200+ plan in our library, but lose access if you unsubscribe.

If I purchase an Athletes Subscription Can I cancel on my own, anytime?
Yes.

Do I have to contact MTI to cancel or can I do it myself?
You can do it yourself. Instructions HERE.

If I purchase a subscription and have questions about where to start or what plans(s) to use for my goals, will you help?
Yes. We answer dozens of training questions from athletes weekly. Email coach@mtntactical.com.

If you add new plans or update existing plans after I subscribe will I have access to them?
Yes. We are continuously adding training plans and packets (2-5/month) and updating plans. With your subscription you’ll have access to all new plans, new courses and plan updates.

What Equipment is Required?
Click the “Required Equipment” tab to find out what equipment is required for the specific plan you are interested in.

Where do I find unfamiliar exercises?
See our Exercise Library HERE. The Run and Ruck Calculators are listed as exercises.

What about nutrition?
See our Nutritional Guidelines HERE.

Can I see sample training?
Click the “Sample Training” tab to see the entire first week of programming. You are encouraged to do it before purchasing.

What if I have more questions?
Email rob@mtntactical.com

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